THREE MONTHS EARLIER

{ THE UNWANTED PREGNANCY}

AVA'S POV

I couldn't help the trembling in my bones, As l knelt cowering behind Mr Raymond, the only space that shielded me from his wife's punching hands, Beatrice. My head weighed heavily on my neck. I had been crying for close to three hours, and my vision was becoming blurred.

"Mr. Raymond sat in an armchair; he wore a white caftan and was sitting slanted. A book covered his face, as though oblivious of our presence

"you'll take responsibility for your actions,"

His coarse voice silenced the whispers from Beatrice and Liam

"you got her pregnant and you will deal with it.... you're getting married to her,"

Liam's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You don't mean that Dad," that wasn't intentional he yelled...his eyes darted to their faces

Beatrice's face turned pale. "Raymond, that was a mistake, we all know that... Are you even considering his mental health?"What this would do to him?" His happiness?" He can't throw his relationship away because of a one-night mistake," She glanced at me rolling her eyes

"I'd rather die than settle with this... thing" Liam yelled, pointing at me, his voice resonated with disgust. I felt the sincerity in his words, and it stung. We are discussing the future CEO of Mamarata Company and the current CEO of the newly launched C&K Furniture Company - Yet, Liam's rejection was a slap to my face.

He paced the living room, his agitation obvious, as if unsure of his next move.

I desperately needed a solution to my predicament, but Mr. Raymond's proposal that Liam Mary's me was the last thing I could have imagined.

"People make mistakes and it's fair they fix them," Mr. Raymond said and turned back to his book

"Sophia doesn't deserve this. She has done absolutely nothing to deserve this," Thabita, Liam's little sister said her voice

more cautious than a plea

Kneeling beside Mr Raymond, l had a little hope of safety, but Beatrice's punching hand proved me wrong. She lunged at me, slapping me hard. "You seduced my son, you manipulative... golddigger!"

"For seconds, I wasn't sure if my eyes were closed or blurred by tears. Then, the ticking clock shattered my numbness. I lifted my gaze to find Beatrice's face illuminated by a triumphant smile, her satisfaction visible. It was a smile that declared she had breached the sanctuary I had hoped to find under Mr. Raymond's protection.

"I'm Sorry," l stammered, overwhelmed by tears, to whom and for what reason, I didn't know. Perhaps Myself, to the choices that brought me here

"Enough, Beatrice!" Mr. Raymond thundered, "It takes two to tangle. She didn't get herself pregnant."

He tossed his folded newspaper onto the armchair and stood up, "I've spent my entire life building an impeccable reputation in every aspect of my life. Nobody," he emphasized, stepping closer to Liam, "will tarnish that legacy. You will fix this mistake, Liam. You will take responsibility for your actions. Or you will forfeit your inheritance."

"What?" Thabita and Liam exclaimed in unison, their voices accompanied by shock and doubt

"You do no such thing, Raymond," Beatrice said, rising from her seat, attempting to seem in control, like the strong women she admired. But the awkwardness was there; it wasn't natural for her. She was trained and had lived her life respecting and obeying Raymond, she had never questioned his orders before. This public rebellion was unmatched, and the tension was obvious

As she spoke, she realized her tone sounded off, even to herself. Challenging Raymond was unfamiliar, and she could sense everyone noticing her Anxiety. Anger flared within her.

"Are you not being too harsh on him, Raymond? Threatening his inheritance?" She asked, her words shifted from confrontation to negotiation.

"I won't discuss this further,' Mr. Raymond said, his voice laced with irritation. He seemed to have witnessed a boring show and with a dismissive wave, he snatched up his book on the armchair and exited the room."

A sharp horror of fear crept into my mind as Mr. Raymond walked out of the room. I curled up from my kneeling position, feeling like I'd been thrown into a den of lions. Did Mr. Raymond not care about the danger I faced in his absence? Or did he trust them so much that he knew they wouldn't harm me?

Beatrice's piercing gaze swept over me, her face twisted with the urge to slap me. 'Don't be fooled by his protection,' she warned, her words echoed coldly in my ear. 'Listen carefully: go in there and tell him you're not interested in this marriage... or else.... you won't live to tell the story.'"

"The sooner you leave, the better," Thabita said curtly, snatching a fruit from the basket on the table. I couldn't help but wonder if she was genuinely annoyed or just pretending.

"I don't have anywhere else to go, Ma," I mumbled, my hand hesitating mid-motion as I resisted the urge to rub my ear that had become a bit too soft, still itching from her slap.

I tried to speak up, but a piercing pain lodged in my throat, silencing the words. The realization and reality that I had nowhere else to call home except this very building, where my absence would bring peace

Liam stared hard on the fruit basket on the center table, he appeared more slim than usual or perhaps his clothes had made him seem so. His expression was more of defeat than anger, and he struggled to avoid eye contact, as if feared he might lose control and lash out at me.

"You don't have anywhere else to go," Beatrice asked sarcastically, "What did you expect, spreading your legs for a drunken man?"

Liam's eyes darted toward his phone on the table, and he swiftly grabbed it and hastened upstairs, his face flushing with embarrassment at his mother's crass words.

"If you think you'll last here a day, you must be delusional. Thabita said leaning forward to the couch, "My dad is barely around, so you're essentially on your own."